Mother’s Day is a time of year when you may be thinking of updating the headstone of your mum’s grave. It may be that you want to add an inscription or verse to an existing gravestone or get a new memorial, either replacing what is currently there or erecting one at a new grave.
Common inscriptions on headstones are much dearly beloved mother of and a devoted wife and mother. You may wish to add a bit more with a verse. Below is an example of a verse that can be added to mother’s gravestone, while further samples can be viewed here
Your smile has gone forever
And your hand we cannot touch,
We have so many memories
Of you, Mum, we love so much.
It may be that you wish to come up with your own verse for your mother’s memorial, just be aware that the more words there are, the smaller the lettering is and they may be harder to read. The style is important too, as some fonts have to be cut deeper into the headstone and will differ in final appearance depending on the material. If you contact us we will be able to discuss the options for you depending on the material of your existing headstone or a new one that you may choose.
Whether it be adding to new headstones, existing ones or replicating the original lettering, inscriptions can be added to gravestones in lead, enamel or gold-leaf. The style can be raised lead lettering, cut and leaded, v-cut, incised or sand blasted. We use traditional hand cut techniques using a hammer and chisel, but also sandblasting and the ultra modern CNC (Computer Numerical Control) method.
If you are thinking of adding or replacing a headstone at a grave, do bear in mind that if your mother is recently departed, then there is a period of around six months where the ground is allowed to settle before it can be installed. If she is being laid to rest in a family plot the existing gravestone needs to be removed and either a new one placed there or an inscription added to the existing one.
In either case, the ground again needs the time to re-settle. It is not advisable to simply leave the headstone lying flat on the ground as this makes it prone to weathering and resultant damaged lettering, or even worse accidental damage or mindless vandalism. At Sarsfield Memorials though we will store your memorial for you free of charge in optimum conditions until the ground is ready for it to be re-installed.
If you have an enquiry regarding a headstone for a new grave, replacing an existing one or adding an inscription, please contact us and we will be happy to provide a free no obligation quote.
gravestones were damaged in Rhymney in South Wales when a tree fell during a storm, while last year nursing pioneer Florence Nightingale’s memorial in Hampshire was removed from its plinth by a tree falling in high winds. Sadly damage to headstones can also be deliberate, as was the case in July 2014 when three youths went on a wrecking spree in a cemetery in Bidston and caused damage estimated at a total of £300,000 to one hundred gravestones